MLB insider links Guardians as potential free agency fit for postseason tormentor

In October 2022, the New York Yankees ended the Guardians season in the American League Division Series. And Gleyber Torres let everyone know about it. 

After Josh Naylor had rocked the baby in celebration of his homer run off Gerrit Cole in Game 4, Toerres rocked the baby on the Guardians after catching the final out in the Yankees’ series-clinching win.

And even if that celebration made Torres an enemy in Cleveland, it looks like there’s a chance that Torres could end up in Cleveland this offseason. 

In a new story for MLB.com, insider Mark Feinsand highlighted the top 30 free agents in this year’s class. He ranked Torres 25th on his list and highlighted the Guardians as a potential fit for the free agent infielder. 

Would Gleyber Torres be a good fit for the Guardians? 

Torres spent the 2025 season with the Detroit Tigers, where he hit .256 with 16 home runs and 74 RBI while starting at second base for the American League in the All-Star Game. 

While his Tigers lost the American League Central title to the Guardians, they defeated Cleveland in the Wild Card Series, though Torres only went 2-for-13 in the series. 

In total, Torres has hit .295 in 61 postseason at-bats against the Guardians.

He seems destined to beat the one-year, $15 million deal he got from the Tigers in free agency last year, though he does have some red flags. He only hit .229 after July 1 and was worth -5 Outs Above Average in the field at second base. 

But, even with that, he’s still one of the best second baseman in Cleveland. Even if he hasn’t hit the heights he reached in 2018 and ‘19, he’s posted an OPS+ above 100 in all but one of the MLB seasons he’s played in. 

He’d immediately become the Guardians’ second-best middle-infielder behind José Ramírez, though his presence on the roster would require them to make a couple more additional moves. 

Brayan Rocchio handled second base at the end of the season and tantalized Cleveland with a strong September and October, but he still hasn’t reached the heights that were expected of him when he was a prospect. 

On the other side, shortstop was manned by Gabriel Arias, who is first-team all-potential but has yet to put it all together in the majors. 

The Guardians will need to make a decision about the future of their middle infield regardless this offseason, and adding Torres for 2026 would help reinforce whatever decision they make about who stays and goes. 

The Guardians have spent the past five years working through a seemingly unending glut of middle infield prospects, but adding Torres would allow for them to pivot toward a proven, MLB-ready option.